Route 66 Archives - MAP AND MOVE

We’re on our final day of driving. Hard to believe that we’ve been on the road for nearly 2 weeks. 1,700 miles from our humble beginnings in NYC to Memphis, and another 2,400 miles on Route 66.

As if the journey wasn’t long enough, we’re ending not at the original end of Route 66 in LA, but in San Francisco to return our 3 RV rentals. Nearly 500 miles to go.

The rest of the group left before us this morning, so it’s Just Calvin and I left in our RV. We’re cutting across the entire state of California today, from Needles to San Francisco.

We’re just 2 hours in and we’re already drowsy. This becomes our salvation: a creepy, abandoned house on the side of the road, in the middle of Nowhere, California. We couldn’t resist getting out to stretch and explore.

What was the story behind the house? Broken glass and tape cassettes (yes, remember those?) litter the floors and what looked like a cozy fireplace and family home. The kitchen that was once painted bubble gum pink has been redecorated with graffiti and a nice sprinkle of gun shot holes.

Hour 3: Why are windmills so mesmerizing? We passed by this field of them near Bakersfield, CA.

Hour 4: We’re in need of a snack break. An unexpected Farmer’s Market in Bakersfield, CA saves the day.

We pitstop for fresh California fruit, fried meat pie (so good), and mini nap in the RV. I love this mobile sleep machine.

California sunshine in the form of juice and sugar. This was badly needed.

The sun is setting and we still have 4 hours to go. Another mini nap, another snack stop, and we’re off!

It’s 2 am. FINALLY. We’re at the so-called 2 mile bridge entering San Francisco, which feels like 20 miles right now. We’ve made it from one end of the state to the other. Good night.

FINALLY. We’ve been on the road for 8 days, but today marked our official start on Route 66, the infamous 2,400 mile road that was the mother of all US highways. This is what we’ve been on a quest to see: the kitschy, quirky, only-in-America roadside icons that follow the now defunct route through 8 states and 3 time zones.

Route 66 is no longer part of the US highway system; most of it has either been absorbed into other interstates and trail off into dirt roads that lead to nowhere. And if we were going to see America, we were going to do it proper: in RV’s.

Tip: if you’re going to drive through long stretches of reception-less highway, get some long-range walkie talkies. They’ll great for coordinating between multiple cars. Plus, it’s fun it say things like, “Roger that.”

15 people, 3 RV’s and 2,400 miles to go. Jorge is ready.

Kel and Duncan in RV SilverFox.

Roughly around the age of Don Draper, there were other advertising studs like these. “The Gemini Giant” in Wilmington, IL is one of the few fiberglass statues from the 60’s. Statues like these used to flank the entrances of burger and hot dog drive-in’s all along Route 66.

heading into St Louis to take on the LEGO pits and adult jungle gym of awesomeness at the City Museum, in downtown St. Louis.

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Map&Move is a group for travelers with a zest for adventure, meeting new people, and rallying for a good cause. When we're not on the road, we organize micro adventures, spontaneous bar crawls, fun skill shares, and volunteer events in NYC. Join us!